An Ontario court has upheld the decision to deny bail for Peter Nygard as he appeals his sexual assault convictions and sentence. The Court of Appeal for Ontario judge stated that the previous judge who denied Nygard’s bail application did not make any errors in their assessment of the case, and therefore, a review would not be warranted.
Nygard’s legal team had argued that the bail judge did not properly consider a new medical report and misunderstood the bail plan proposed by Nygard. They also claimed that the judge did not recognize the strength of one of the grounds for appeal related to expert testimony on trauma.
However, the bail judge found that Nygard’s appeal seemed weak and that he had a higher risk of fleeing due to facing charges in other jurisdictions. Nygard, 83, was convicted of four counts of sexual assault last year and sentenced to nearly seven years in prison. His legal team is challenging both the conviction and sentence, citing errors made by the trial judge.
During the bail application hearing, Nygard’s lawyers presented a new medical report that they claimed had not been available during the sentencing process. The Appeal Court Justice found that the report heavily relied on self-reported information and that Nygard’s health had been taken into account during sentencing.
The judge also raised concerns about Nygard’s proposed bail plan, which involved living in a Winnipeg home owned by one of his employees. Nygard’s lawyers argued that the judge misunderstood the proposal, but the court ruled that the focus should be on whether Nygard would surrender himself into custody if released on bail.
See also Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s tough Bronx persona is under fresh scrutiny with a resurfaced childhood nickname from her suburban upstate New York upbringing casting doubt on that publicly portrayed image. The progressive champion’s latest spat with President Donald Trump over the Iran strikes again called into question her true upbringing when she declared on X she was a “Bronx girl" to make her a point against the president. The 35-year-old congresswoman wrote in part on X: "I’m a Bronx girl. You should know that we can eat Queens boys for breakfast. Respectfully," she said, referring to the president’s upbringing in Queens as she called for his impeachment over his decision to bypass Congress in authorizing U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Ocasio-Cortez was born in the Bronx but moved to Yorktown – which is nearly an hour outside New York City -- when she was 5 years old and went on to attend Yorktown High School where she graduated in 2007. She was considered an accomplished student there and well thought of by teacher Michael Blueglass, according to a 2018 report by local media outlet Halston Media News. “There, known by students and staff as ‘Sandy,’ she was a member of the Science Research Program taught by Michael Blueglass," the report states. “She was amazing," Blueglass said, per the report. “Aside from her winning one of the top spots and going to the [Intel International Science and Engineering Fair], she was just one of the most amazing presenters in all of the years I've been at Yorktown. Her ability to take complex information and explain it to all different levels of people was fantastic." After high school, Ocasio-Cortez attended Boston University, where she majored in economics and international relations, per the report. Ocasio-Cortez’s “Sandy" nickname — which carries a more suburban and preppy tone — appears to undercut her politically crafted image as a tough, inner-city fighter, one she has portrayed since her famous 2018 congressional campaign where she eventually ousted former 10-terms Congressman Joe Crowley. New York GOP Assemblyman Matt Slater, who now represents Yorktown, added to the scrutiny of Ocasio-Cortez’s persona in the wake of her brash with Trump and released images of Ocasio-Cortez from his high school yearbook. He claimed he and the rising Democratic star attended Yorktown High School at the same time when she was a freshman and he was a senior. "I saw the attacks on the president and her [Ocasio-Cortez] claims that she's a big, tough Bronx girl," said Slater. "To sit there and say that she’s a Bronx girl is just patently ridiculous." "Everybody in our community knows this is just a bold-face lie," said Slater on "Fox & Friends First" last week. "She grew up in Yorktown, she was on my track team." "She's lying about her background, she's lying about her upbringing," Slater claimed. Slater’s post sent social media ablaze and prompted Ocasio-Cortez to respond after an image if her family’s home was posted online. “I’m proud of how I grew up and talk about it all the time," Ocasio-Cortez wrote on X Friday responding to the post. “My mom cleaned houses and I helped. We cleaned tutors’ homes in exchange for SAT prep." “Growing up between the Bronx and Yorktown deeply shaped my views of inequality & it’s a big reason I believe the things I do today!"
Ultimately, the bail judge determined that releasing Nygard pending appeal would undermine public confidence in the administration of justice. Despite the arguments made by Nygard’s legal team, the court found no errors in the judge’s assessment of the case.
In conclusion, Nygard will remain in custody as he continues to appeal his convictions and sentence. The court’s decision to deny bail has been upheld, and Nygard’s legal team will need to continue their efforts to secure his release during the appeal process.
